Not In The Cards: Federal Judge Rules Louisiana City’s Ban On Fortunetellers Unconstitutional

In 2011, Alexandria, Louisiana law enforcement shut down Rachel Adams’ fortunetelling business. This week, U.S. District Judge Dee Drell ruled that the city’s ban on “palmistry, card reading, fortune telling and other otherworldly communications” violates the First Amendment. In court, the city’s lawyers argued that the fortunetelling business is “a fraud and inherently deceptive” but were unable to convince Drell that it is not constitutionally protected free speech. In his judgement, Drell noted that Louisiana has never been harmed by its long history of embracing fortunetellers, especially in the city of New Orleans.